Well the Final Four is set and I am sure everyone out there had Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State, and Kansas in their office pool. It has been a great tournament to this point with some great games that have gone down to the wire. I know I didn't pick Kentucky to win; however, they are looking especially great at this point. They are playing with enthusiasm and are chock full of potential pros. They have shown their quicker and faster than the teams they are playing and are shooting lights out from the free throw line. It is a deadly combination for teams that are trying to guard them. They are able to blow by defenders and are forcing them to react which is resulting in multiple fouls and many trips to the charity stripe. It is working tremendously to this point. What they haven't had yet is a close game where the last few possessions decide the game. This is where youth can be a factor.
They do now face a Louisville team that plays wonderful defense. They played earlier in the season and it was a 7 point game that Kentucky was able to win. Lousville is a very different team than the one who played before. They have really changed and are peaking at the right time. They have showed an ability to comeback and finish a game as they did against Florida. Coach Pitino is a great coach and it shows by him taking 3 different schools to the Final Four in four different decades.
I see this game being close like before as these are bitter rivals and the state of Kentucky will no doubt be going berserk. The way both these schools fan bases travel it will be crazy. I am sure the Wildcats are obviously happy to be in the Final Four but not happy to be playing Louisville. Guard play for Louisville will be the key to this contest. Peyton Siva will have to be extremely careful with the ball and keep his turnovers to a minimum. He doesn't have to score big points he just needs to manage the game and distribute to his teammates. It sounds simple but the rest of the Cardinals will have to make shots. If Louisville can minimize turnovers and their transition defense stays steady then they should do well. Kentucky will score and want to run. Kentucky's combination of Kidd-Gilchrist and Davis will be too much ultimately and Kentucky wins by 10 sending them to Championship Monday.
The second game will be a total dog fight. The Ohio State Buckeyes verses the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas has a distinct advantage in the interior with Robinson and Withey patrolling the paint. Sullinger is a beast down low but has been prone to getting in foul trouble. He needs to stay on the floor if they are going to play for a National Championship. The perimeter is loaded with talent on both teams. Kansas's Elijah Johnson and Tyshawn Taylor are studs and really compliment each other. Johnson has been clutch in victories over Purdue and N.C. St. Taylor was super in the win today against UNC. E.J. strokes threes with such ease as well as finds his teammates for easy looks and Taylor attacks the rim with fervor. Ohio State will need a great game out of William Buford and this is when seniors should deliver. They also will need an extra special defensive effort from super on-the-ball defender Aaron Craft. He has such quick hands and feet and will need to get in the head of the Kansas guards who have been turnover prone. Kansas has been knocking on the door of losing since the Purdue game and this is a much better team from he B1G Ten. I see Ohio State winning by the slimmest of margins and meeting Coach Cal and the boys from Kentucky for the National Title.
I will reserve my thoughts on the championship game until this Sunday afternoon.
Hopefully my predictions are right like I always am. At least that is what my wife tells me!
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Additional Thoughts...
I have been thinking about the search for Illinois next head basketball coach. The public perception being that Shaka Smart was the man to get and Illinios didn't deliver the #1 choice or that he turned them down. We really don't know what the process is or was. He may not have even been contacted and just wanted to dispel any rumors or thoughts for his family and fans that he was staying at VCU. I totally respect him more now than I did before. I am thinking back to when Bill Self left Illinois for Kansas way back in 2003. People were so upset that he left and how could he leave and why didn't he want to stay here and build something of his own. I feel that the "grass is always greener" logic works for those of us here but not for anyone else that we want for our head coach. I think by him staying and building a culture and life at VCU speaks volumes about the person he is and what is most important to him. If you are happy somewhere why would you leave. Is money that important? Is power that important? Or is family stability and well being most important? I think he answered that loud and clear with his decision.
Now this brings Illini Nation to who is going to be the next coach.
There are a great deal of candidates but the one that fits the Mike Thomas mold is John Groce of Ohio U. He is a MAC coach who has Midwestern ties and has been successful in the tournament this season. He was an assistant coach under Thad Matta and was instrumental in recruiting players like Greg Oden and Mike Conley, Jr. to Columbus. He is realivelty young and shows an enthusiasm for winning that was evident during their game against North Carolina. I feel he could recruit the players Illinois wants and needs. He would retain Jerrance Howard to keep the continuity of the program and making the current players feel comfortable with the new coach.
He would though need to build a staff that reflects two things. One would be a coach from the inner city of Chicago. This is most important to keep Chicago in the loop and appease those in the Windy City. Two he needs to add a well respected former Illini player to his staff in the addition to Jerrance Howard. I have looked around the landscape of teams and just for my own personal interest I check various assistant coaches to see who they are and if they are former players from that school. You see this the most at Duke where the coaching tree is littered with former Dukies. This is very attractive to prospective players as they can relate and give experience of life as an Illini.
There are a few players I think would be great in this role. One is Deon Thomas as he fits two of the criteria. He is a former Chicago Simeon H.S. player and Illini great. He has played professionally for years and could help with the big men we have. Two would be Kenny Battle. He is a beloved former player and member of the Flyin Illini. Having the energy he still brings to the game would be a tremendous assest to the current and potential players. Illinois needs that passion for the program. Three would be Lucas Johnson. That guy played with toughness and determination. He wasn't the most athletic player or the most gifted player but he worked his butt off and left it all on the court. I don't know if he is even interested in coaching but he is the type of player that is missing from these current Illini players.
Mike Thomas has an extremely hard job and it is only getting harder as the days go by. He needs to hit a home run with this hire as he is filling a position that was held by a very well respected coach and a coach that took Illinois to the farthest it had every been in the NCAA tournament. He was down the past few years but still you have to nail this one because you can't continue to go in reverse. I can't wait for the news.
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